SC - authenticity

Thu May 13 00:53:19 PDT 1999

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I have been listening to the recent discourse onperiod recipes and what =
is "period" cooking, and I feel compelled to add in a half-penny's worth =
of opinion. The problem with recreating the middle ages and the varying =
aspects thereof is that it was not a highly literate society and much of =
what was written down is no longer extant. This is especially true of =
cooking, often an oral tradition. If we randomly create recipes, we are =
not recreating the middle ages. However, if we only use extant recipes, =
we are not recreating the middle ages, as so much has ben lost.

I compare cooking to poetry. Bards take period words (ingredients) and =
proved period forms (methodologies) to compose new poems. Some cooks use =
period ingredients and period methodologies to make educated guesses. If =
we cannot use informed guesses on cooking, then bards cannot compose =
poems. The two are not that dissimilar. I believe in staying within an =
educated format as much as possible, but within that paradigm being =
flexible. Researchers do that when they guess as to the meanings of some =
words or the meanings of some poems. There are certain Anglo-Saxon =
riddles which will never be truly answered, as we know so little of the =
cultural references they contain. As long as that premise is truly =
understood, then properly informed interpretations can be entertained =
and used as serious scholarship, providing room for dialogue. The same =
can hold true for cooking. We can begin with the premise that while we =
can know a great deal, we cannot know enough and take it from there.

I understand that this is a great debate which will never be resolved, =
and perhaps never should be as it opens up room for dialogue. Thank you =
for allowing me the opportunity to join in.

Branwen
(a hatchling cook in the West, but one who has spent much time doing =
other medieval research)

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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>I have been listening to the recent =
discourse=20
onperiod recipes and what is "period" cooking, and I feel =
compelled to=20
add in a half-penny's worth of opinion. The problem with recreating the =
middle=20
ages and the varying aspects thereof is that it was not a highly =
literate=20
society and much of what was written down is no longer extant. This is=20
especially true of cooking, often an oral tradition. If we randomly =
create=20
recipes, we are not recreating the middle ages. However, if we only use =
extant=20
recipes, we are not recreating the middle ages, as so much has ben=20
lost.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I compare cooking to poetry. Bards take period words =

(ingredients) and proved period forms (methodologies) to compose new =
poems. Some=20
cooks use period ingredients and period methodologies to make educated =
guesses.=20
If we cannot use <STRONG>informed </STRONG>guesses on cooking, then =
bards cannot=20
compose poems. The two are not that dissimilar. I believe in staying =
within an=20
educated format as much as possible, but within that paradigm being =
flexible.=20
Researchers do that when they guess as to the meanings of some words or =
the=20
meanings of some poems. There are certain Anglo-Saxon riddles which will =
never=20
be truly answered, as we know so little of the cultural references they =
contain.=20
As long as that premise is truly understood, then properly informed=20
interpretations can be entertained and used as serious scholarship, =
providing=20
room for dialogue. The same can hold true for cooking. We can begin with =
the=20
premise that while we can know a great deal, we cannot know enough and =
take it=20
from there.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>I understand that this is a great debate which will =
never be=20
resolved, and perhaps never should be as it opens up room for dialogue. =
Thank=20
you for allowing me the opportunity to join in.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Branwen</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>(a hatchling cook in the West, but one who has spent =
much time=20
doing other medieval research)</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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